Ibn al-Haytham, considered the father of modern optics, developed revolutionary theories on light and vision while imprisoned. His work challenged Aristotle's ancient thought and paved the way for modern physics.
BMO's $4M investment in Perimeter Institute establishes the BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics, supporting groundbreaking research. The partnership aims to attract top theoretical physicists and drive innovation in Canada.
Scientists have detected gas escaping from Mercury using NASA satellites designed to view the Sun's atmosphere. The STEREO mission has recorded evidence of a 'tail' of emission surrounding the planet, similar to comet-like features observed on Earth and in images taken by the MESSENGER satellite.
The University of Toronto team has broken world records in the search for new particles at the LHC, confirming the Standard Model theory. The team set new limits on the mass of excited quarks, excluding their existence below a certain threshold and reconfirming allegiance to the Standard Model.
NIST scientists have developed a theoretical model to decode electrical signals generated by nanopores, enabling the identification and quantification of proteins and other molecules. This breakthrough brings us closer to realizing nanopores as a powerful diagnostic tool for medical science.
Researchers are gaining insight into the workings of magnetic shape-memory materials by studying their molecular level behavior. By examining the effects of excess manganese atoms on a specific alloy, scientists hope to develop materials that exhibit larger changes in shape.
Rival bacterial colonies use a toxic protein called sibling lethal factor to outcompete each other for limited nutrients. The protein kills cells at the edge of a colony closest to a competing group, creating a lopsided growth pattern and preserving scarce resources.
Amit Hagar's three-year NSF grant will support the first comprehensive study of fundamental length, exploring its history and philosophy. The research aims to reconcile this concept with established principles and drive innovation in theoretical physics.
A team of researchers has discovered that in copper-based superconductors, tiny areas of weak superconductivity can hold up at higher temperatures when surrounded by regions of strong superconductivity. This finding could lead to the creation of new materials with improved superconducting properties.
Using ultracold atoms, Rice physicists confirmed a theory about a universal quantum mechanism that allows trimers to form in special cases where pairs cannot. The team observed Efimov's trimers appear and reappear repeatedly in a stepwise fashion.
Giovanni Ossola's NSF-funded project aims to improve the accuracy of LHC computations using his OPP Method. He plans to involve students in the experiment, promoting stronger ties between CERN and City Tech.
Ulf Leonhardt's new research paper proposes a 'fish-eye' lens that can create perfect images with unlimited resolution in principle, eliminating the need for negative refraction. This breakthrough could enable silicon chip manufacturers to produce smaller and more compact structures of billions of tiny transistors.
Researchers found individual algal cells can regulate flagellar beating in synchrony to control swimming trajectories, exhibiting two distinct modes: synchronous and unsynchronised. This study reveals hydrodynamic interactions as the driving force behind synchronization.
A University of Missouri physicist has uncovered clues about the basis of Einstein's theories, proposing a more general approximation that may better link quantum physics with classical physics. The researcher aims to develop a nonlocal theory that goes beyond general relativity.
Two papers published in APS Physics journals describe different electron behavior in iron-based superconductors, suggesting distinct origins. The findings challenge theories on the similarities between these materials and cuprates, potentially altering the direction of research in this field.
Researchers from University of Nevada, Reno set new constraints on extra Z-boson particle, a carrier of the fifth force of nature. The team achieved high-precision analysis of atomic parity violation in cesium atoms, outperforming previous experiments with increased computational complexity.
Researchers have discovered a new connection between Carter's constant and Newtonian gravity, shedding light on the behavior of rotating black holes. The findings have significant implications for gravitational-wave astronomy, potentially allowing the detection of small black hole orbits.
Paul Davies, a renowned cosmologist, questions the conventional notion that there's only one form of life on Earth. He suggests that life might exist in unexpected places, such as extreme environments, and could be undetected due to our limited detection methods.
Physicists Jeff Lundeen and Aephraim Steinberg have resolved Hardy's paradox, a long-standing challenge in quantum mechanics. They used weak measurement to discuss past events without disturbing reality, resolving the apparent contradiction.
Researchers propose new way to detect anomalies in fundamental physics principle, potentially revealing space-time variations and relativity violations. This discovery could have significant implications for understanding gravity and particle behavior.
A team of Caltech researchers proposes a mathematical model explaining an anomaly in the universe's radiation and matter distribution. The model predicts more cold than hot spots in the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation, which could offer insights into what happened during inflation and potentially even what came before the Big Bang.
Physicists from Rice and Rutgers universities have published a new theory explaining the complex electronic and magnetic properties of iron pnictides. The research suggests that pnictides exhibit magnetic frustration, which enhances magnetic quantum fluctuations and may be responsible for high-temperature superconductivity.
Researchers at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility confirmed theoretical predictions that fast-moving protons form pairs with neutrons or other protons, with 100% of fast-moving nucleons paired. This discovery may help understand nuclear systems and structure.
Physicists have made significant breakthrough in understanding wetting theory with the development of a new simplified mathematical formula. The formula explains fluctuations in liquid droplets on surfaces, resolving long-standing problems and outstanding discrepancies between experiments and simulations.
Yu Lu receives the AIP Tate Medal for his four-decade-long efforts in bringing together world's condensed matter physics community and promoting international collaboration. He has authored nearly 200 research papers and three books, and played a key role in organizing scientific activities in developing countries.
A new analysis provides quantitative information on socioclimatic risk for each nation, integrating global climate models and socioeconomic indicators of poverty, wealth, and population. Countries face high exposure in at least one category, with major greenhouse gas-emitting nations like China, India, and the US facing substantial exp...
The Biophysical Society has awarded 14 individuals for their exceptional contributions to the field of biophysics. These awards recognize achievements in areas such as lipids and membrane biology, education, single molecule biology, and computational biology.
Researchers use simultaneous measurements to investigate electron-electron interactions near the metal-insulator transition, revealing a quantum critical point and temperature-dependent interaction strength. The study provides a theory that quantitatively explains phenomena in two-dimensional systems.
Researchers at University of Delaware and Delaware State University received nearly $1 million to develop blast-resistant materials and MIMO radar systems. The goal is to create a powerful tool for detecting bombs, enemy targets, and assisting rescue operations.
The LHC Theory Initiative has announced its first-ever $40,000 graduate fellowship awards to stimulate young talent in particle physics. The recipients, Randall Kelly and Jonathan Walsh, will use the funds to support their research on higher-order corrections and simulation tools.
Denmark's researchers claim anesthetics are based on sound pulses rather than electrical impulses. The membrane of the nerve is similar to olive oil and can change state with temperature, allowing concentrated sound pulses to propagate without heat.
A team of scientists has successfully observed rare particles of light emitted during the radioactive decay of a neutron, confirming theoretical predictions. The experiment, conducted at NIST's Center for Neutron Research, used novel instruments and techniques to minimize uncertainties and detect elusive photons.
Researchers found that under certain conditions, the surface of a strange star could fragment into blobs of quark material called strangelets, forming a rigid halo. This contradicts traditional models and raises questions about the nature of collapsed stars' nuclear leftovers.
Peter Zoller, a renowned Austrian physicist, has been awarded the prestigious Dirac Medal 2006 for his groundbreaking research in atomic physics. He is being recognized for his innovative methods to use trapped ions for quantum computing and realizing the Bose-Hubbard model in ultracold gases.
MIT physicists and NIST colleagues report the most precise direct test yet of Einstein's E=mc^2, verifying the formula's accuracy with an unprecedented precision. The team's findings validate the equivalence of energy and mass, strengthening the theory's position in modern physics.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson warns of a growing science, engineering, and technology talent gap in the US. She emphasizes the need for a national commitment to develop more science, engineering, and technology talent from underrepresented groups.
Researchers develop kinetic antiferromagnetism, solving decades-long problem in theoretical physics. The discovery has practical applications in superconductors, magnetic storage devices, and other areas of materials science.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a theory explaining why nanowires thin away at non-zero temperatures. The discovery reveals that higher surface tensions stabilize the wires, making them suitable for repeated use. Copper is identified as the best metal for creating stable nanowires.
Sir Samuel Frederick Edwards and Patrick A. Lee are being honored with the ICTP Dirac Medal for their groundbreaking work in polymer physics, spin glass theory, and many-body systems. The award, established in 1985, is given to scientists who have made significant contributions to theoretical physics and mathematics.
Martin Klein received the Pais Award for his groundbreaking research on the history of 19th and 20th century physics, which have profoundly influenced generations of historians. He also made significant contributions to the history of relativity and quantum physics.
Researchers developed an experiment to measure the behavior of curling stones, revealing that wet friction is involved in their curl. The study found that a thin liquid layer reverses the dominant frictional force on the stone, resulting in a clockwise-turning stone curling to the right.
Gross and Frank Wilczek discovered asymptotic freedom, a force that grows stronger with distance, allowing for the calculation of experiment results. This finding has implications for experiments and provides clues to new physics beyond the Standard Model.
The Texas flagship universities will participate in the Giant Magellan Telescope Consortium to explore the universe's frontiers. The GMT will collect five times more light than the Hobby-Eberly telescope and produce images 10 times sharper, enabling groundbreaking discoveries about the origins of the universe.
Researchers propose a new theory linking neutrinos' slight mass to the accelerating universe expansion through dark energy and accelerons. The theory suggests that neutrinos interact with accelerons, resulting in a force that fuels the expansion of the universe.
Physicists from a global team at Boston University have discovered neutrino oscillation and mass, modifying the Standard Model. The findings show a prominent dip in atmospheric neutrino data consistent with the theory of neutrino mixing.
H. Eugene Stanley is honored for his innovative and original research on disordered systems, aggregation, and phase transitions. His work has also applied to complex networks, including those related to biology and terrorism.
The CDMS II experiment has narrowed the search for WIMPs, a type of dark matter particle. The results show that the interaction rate of a WIMP with ordinary matter should be less than one interaction every 25 days per kilogram of germanium.
V. Zakharov received the 2003 Dirac Medal of the ICTP for his groundbreaking work on mathematical physics of nonlinear phenomena, particularly in the field of weak wave turbulence. His research has significantly contributed to our understanding of plasma physics, hydrodynamics, magnetism, and optics.
Andrei Linde has been recognized with the Dirac Medal for his pioneering work in inflationary cosmology, which posits that the universe underwent a rapid expansion. His theory has already had notable observational successes and has become a paradigm for fundamental studies in cosmology.
The latest muon g-2 measurement provides a unique and unusually sensitive test of the validity of the general theory of electromagnetism or, equivalently, the Standard Model of particle physics. The result confirms earlier measurements with twice the precision, making this new measurement a much more sensitive test of the Standard Model.
Researchers developed a model predicting link distributions in web communities, revealing varying degrees of competition dominance across groups. The study may have implications for e-tailers and online commerce, with potential advantages for early adopters.
The study defines web communities as collections of pages with more links within than outside, and uses a maximum flow framework to efficiently identify them. Communities are found to be highly relevant and topically related, with applications in search engines, directories, and content filtering.
Researchers confirm a high degree of asymmetry between matter and antimatter, consistent with the Standard Model Theory. The finding sheds light on why the universe is made mostly of matter.
The universe consists mostly of mysterious dark matter and dark energy, which make up 95% of its mass. Ordinary matter accounts for only 5%, a finding confirmed by observations of the cosmic microwave background.
Frank Shu, a renowned expert in theoretical astrophysics and star formation, received the Dannie Heinemann Prize for his groundbreaking research on various topics including spiral structure, stellar dynamics, and planetary rings. The award recognizes his significant contributions to the field of astrophysics.
Ralph V. Chamberlin has successfully extended the mean-field theory of ferromagnetism to describe the behavior of ferromagnetic materials at lower temperatures, eliminating the need for an alternative theory. This breakthrough allows for the accurate description of ferromagnets in a wider range of temperatures.
Researchers at Georgia Tech, HP Labs, and UCLA receive the Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology for their work on building devices with atomic precision. The team, led by Uzi Landman and R. Stanley Williams, successfully created a molecular switch, a key step towards building entire memory chips at the nanoscale.
Sidney Drell, 74, has been honored with the Enrico Fermi Award for his work on arms control and particle physics. The award recognizes his pioneering research in quantum electrodynamics and his technical contributions to national security issues.
A researcher from University of Illinois claims that grip on the bat during contact with baseball has no effect on ball speed and trajectory. The study, demonstrated in theory and experiment, corrects coaching advice to relax grip during swing.
Materials professor Arthur Gossard and his students created a compound semiconductor for two unrelated experiments, one by Harvard and one by Chicago, which were published in the September 29 issue of Science magazine. The experiment involves creating pathways for electrons to improve conductivity.